Place: Reviews & Ratings

Reviews by Yetiman420:

Stopped in around 8:00 on a Thursday night with a co worker on our way to Illinois.

Passed by all the chains near the interstate to a more rustic/rough/authentic area of town (which is what I prefer).

Upon opening the door I was quickly reminded of the backwards law in Indiana that allows people to pollute the air and ruin a good beer experience with cigarette smoke. Some saving grace that the place wasn't too full and they had another half of the building where we could eat and nobody was sitting/smoking (and you can't smoke during lunch hours)

Playing Sirrius XM Lithium station with 90's grunge/modern rock which put my coworker in heaven.

Service was prompt and friendly. 33 taps and when I asked the bartender for a list, he pointed to his head. I went back into the bar, looked at the impressive list and went with 3 Floyds Alpha King (twice). Other options included...

More User Reviews:

Visited this place for the first time over the weekend and it was well worth the stop. Destihl, Three Floyds, Epic, Founders, Hop City among many others on tap. Looks like they get some gems in from time to time. Knowledgeable staff and great prices! Only had the Irish Nachos which I highly recommend. Will definitely stop again on my next visit through Terre Haute! (372 characters)

Great place to go if you enjoy trying new beers. Last time I went they had 3 Floyd's, Triton, Founders, Upland CV, and other local favorites on tap.

Atmosphere: I gave this a 2.5 because many of the older locals who come here can be unfriendly to the younger generation of beer drinkers. I've met a lot of snobs at Sonka's. 2.5 is very generous, the ping-pong table and good looking waitress bumped it up to a 2.5.

The quality of beer and food is great. Not overly expensive. Most of the staff is friendly. If it wasn't for the poor atmosphere, I'd come a lot more often. (574 characters)

I would once in a while visit this place while in college. The best "beer bar" in town- that's not saying much considering the town we're talking about.

Anyway, all previous impressions aside...I went in to this with a fresh perspective and clean slate. No go amigos, no go.

While a relatively decent tap selection (Alpha King, Founders Breakfast Stout,Chimay Red), the staff had no idea what a "good" beer is. I was at first pressed to get a Spaten Dunkel (on special for $1.75) because it is "a really good German dark beer". I opted for an Alpha King, then the Founders Breakfast Stout. Both tasted awesome, its apparent that they at least do some line maintenance.

Food was ordered to go- what I thought was a turkey and havarti on pumpernickel. What I got was a horrible failed attempt at something, something pumpernickel. It was literally just pumpernickel. Sad. (980 characters)

This was my home away from home when I lived in Indiana. I put a lot of work in there. Many, many, many pints. I even dug the corner table out of the garbage bin out back one day when I realized it had been replaced with a new one. I had shared so many good times at that table with lifelong friends that I couldn't see allowing it to be discarded. I've seen staff turn over there several times over. I've even had the misfortune of losing a longtime Sonka's manager/bartender and friend to an untimely demise. Sonka's is the place to which I refer in so many stories--most good, a few bad, but all memories that lie in my heart where they'll stay forever. The beer selection used to be (meaning '99, '00, '01) more extensive. Offering more bottles than taps. Nowadays, Sandy, the owner, appears more interested in having more tap varieties, which, obviously, cuts down on the number of overall varieties that are available. A lot of the best Midwest offerings as well as some other American regional and international favorites are always ready to be poured for you. The atmosphere smacks of a neighborhood pub that's seen a lot of history. For nostalgia lovers, you'll have a soft spot in your heart for this place even if it's the first time you've ever been there. I've often said that Sonka's is more of an Irish pub than most Irish pubs--and I've been to several pubs in Ireland. I love how Sonka's appeals to the college student, the blue collar worker, the educated professorial types, and the community leaders alike. Rarely ever any trouble. Even on the most busy days like the Indiana State University pub crawl and St. Patty's day. Patrons are generally very welcoming and easy-going. Just a magnificent atmosphere and a place to make great memories. (1,763 characters)

It's a wednesday night around 945 pm in southern Indiana and I'm thirsty for a decent craft beer. I was surprised to find a decent craft beer taplist at what appears to be just your local corner pub. They have a nice selection of good bar food and about 17 taps. They roll up the sidewalks in this part of Indiana, so this place was like an oasis for a midweek late night stop. The bartender is a huge beer fan and is in the know about beer. They have growlers available of the tap beer. Just a nice casual, laid back place for a good beer and a bite to eat. (558 characters)

So this place is awesome, It is my first "regular" pub. I am normally there on Tuesday nights for an hour or so and have a couple beers, and loaded dogs @ $1.65 and typically have specials with about 5 or 6 beers @$2.75 and one i have seen as low as $1.75.

They have a solid line up and get a limited bottle supply. They were the only place in the area to get King Henry, also they had BCBS. They are all around solid in the brew and food category in my book. There are New tappings every Wednesday and they also have Firkin Fridays, along with other little things throughout the year.

The service is great, I sit and talk with Jareb when I am there and enjoy my night. I would recommend this to anyone passing through.

Just as a note there is a $10 minimum for credit card charges. (788 characters)

Sonka's is one of the bright spots of Terre Haute. It is a very relaxing pub atmosphere, with a couple of pool tables, darts, and every now and then some ping pong or bags. The service at Sonka's is typically very good, though every now and then they have a hard time handling unexpected rushes, which is reasonable given that there are typically no more than 4 or 5 bartenders/servers working at any given time. The food is great, if you like spicy, make sure to get the leprechaun sauce. The White Devil chicken sandwich is a personal favorite of mine, with extra leprechaun sauce and blue cheese, it simply cannot be beat!

Sonka's always has a decent selection, and can usually pull some of the more well known special releases, but doesn't typically get many rare taps (though they have released 2006 Bourbon County bottles and Imperial Brown Goose randomly).

Having recently left Terre Haute, I am still looking around for my new "Sonka's" in my area, but I've yet to find anything that quite compares. A must stop for Terre Haute! (1,038 characters)

Sonka Irish Pub is most definitely as good as it gets outside of a large city for craft beer. They have great selection including lots of seasonal brews. They host great beer events and do a lot to advocate craft beer. Their service is really good except on St. Patrick's Day (go figure) and they have amazing food. Anything that has the word "Leprechaun" in its name has their famous spicy, flavorful "Leprechaun Sauce" on it, and is therefore amazing. Any Beer Advocate coming to Terre Haute should come to Sonka over any other bar in the city. (546 characters)

I revisited this place for the first time in 10 years recently. It was my favorite bar in town when I was in college in Terre Haute and I was overjoyed to discover the place is still great. It's a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere with a solid selection of pub food. More importantly the beer selection -- which was always pretty good -- has gotten even better. Sandy always had a good variety of bottles, but now has even more great beer on tap which I'm told rotates regularly. I loved the place back in the day and I still love it now. (535 characters)

Pretty surprised by the wide selection and great atmosphere that a place like this would have. I figured it to be just another sketchy hole in the wall (as Terre Haute may be known for, whether or not legitimately). In fact, though, the food was amazing, the beers were great, and the servers were friendly. I love how laid-back and chill the whole place is, and Sandy (the owner) is great with the events and beers that she brings in.

Especially excited for Mardi Gras, St. Pattys and St. Sonka's days! (545 characters)

Sonka's is the best bar in terre haute, usually made up of two factions, students and older patrons. the beer selection is great and is always changing. most of the time they have around 30 beers on tap. quite frequently they have brewery representatives in the do tastings and casket openeings. Don't get me started on the food, some of the best biggest burgers intown, always go for the pub chips they are delicious and alway always always get the leprechaun sauce on the side, this stuff will blow your mind. (511 characters)

This truly is a "BEER BAR". They don't serve spirits. Plenty of taps and Sandy keeps them rotating nicely. You can get anything on draft from Chimay, to Three Floyd's, to Clipper City, to Sierra Nevada, to Bell's, to nasty macros. Their beer selection excels in that it offers something for every palate, style and taste.

This is by far the best place for beer in Terre Haute. I guess I'd consider myself a "regular". The atmosphere is great and pulls off the Irish vibe quite well. Nothing tacky about this place. 2 pool tables and a Foosball table can keep you and your friends entertained. They have wireless internet so you can take the afternoon off and veg out on your "puter" whilst drinking wonderful brews.

The food is is really quite good. A new menu was incorporated not long ago. Burgers are always good here. The wings are AWESOME! They make their own sauce here and it's to die for! There's a horseradish patty melt type thing that is so good it's nearly sinful to enjoy something so much.

I came to Terre Haute in 1993 for college and have been here ever since. I've visited virtually every watering hole in the town and have zero reservations in recommending Sonka's as the #1 place the Haute has to offer...especially if you are looking for good beer, good food, and a great relaxing atmosphere.

A few years ago, they added several more taps; now they are running just over 30. Fortunately, 25 or more of these have beers don't start with "Bud" or "Miller." The selection continually rotates, and Sandy makes sure to get in some of the seasonal specials (Hopslam, alpha Klaus, etc.). You can always find stuff from Bells, Three Floyd's, Founders, Stone, etc. on tap. They offer by the glass or growler fills.

The food is also excellent - great Pub Burger, fish and chips, and Leprechaun Shrimp. If you like spicy food, you have to try the Leprechaun sauce...phenomenal. The stew is also excellent, as are the onion rings, and chef salads. They really offer a ton of great food at a very reasonable price.

The staff is also great - Mike has been there forever, and the rest of those working are always friendly. It does get busy during lunch (especially on Fridays) so you might have to wait for just a bit for your food.

Overall, Sonka's is a great place. I head there about once a week and am always pleased. My #1 choice in Terre Haute! (1,355 characters)

One of my favorite places. The atmosphere is friendly, and very suitable for an Irish pub. The service is generally excellent. The selection is quite good, although it can be difficult to figure out which of their bottled beers they have or don't have, since they don't regularly update that list. The food is AMAZING. Good burgers, the best onion rings I've ever tasted, and very delicious and incredibly cheap Irish stew.

If you're looking for a great place to relax and enjoy a brew in Terre Haute, this is it. (514 characters)

I love Sonkas. It has a great Irish pub look and feel, the staff is always friendly, the food is good, reasonably priced, and there's a good variety. They have an excellent beer selection, including the standard micro brews, imports from Ireland, England, Germany, etc, regional beers from Indiana, and a few ciders (tap and bottle). It's a great place to play pool and darts, as well. Occasionally you'll have to deal with a drunken crowd (for example when they have quarter beer night), but for the most part it's a laid back and great place to try a new beer. (562 characters)

I live in Terre Haute and consider Sonka's my hangout. St. Patrick's Day is the only time the bar is ever crowded. Where it is located, it is a hike from campus and usually does not hold a large college crowd like the bars closer to campus do. Because of this, there is a lot of personal attention and great service. It is very easy to get attention at the bar. Like it was said earlier, they recently upgraded to hold 28 beers on tap along with many other bottles. Anyone can find something that they like. If you are a local, they recently started offering growlers on all of their tapped brews.
Sonka's does have a kitchen which makes great burgers and finger foods. I highly recommend it on the list of places to go to relax and have a beer in Terre Haute. Great food and a great atmosphere. (797 characters)

I live in Indianapolis on travel on occasion to Terre Haute. Yesterday I was in Terre Haute and a friend and I stopped in at Sonka's for a quick beer. I had been there before and liked their selection. To my pleasant surprise they had upgraded their bar and offer like 17 or so beers mostly micros, including one of my top 5, Alpha King. Great old building, nice bar staff, and great service at fair prices. Terre Haute is a college town, Indiana State University is located there, (remember Larry Bird). I encourage anyone in the area to give em' a go. You can thank me later...maybe buy me a beer! pat (603 characters)

Great place to sit back and try a lot of beers. Has all the macros but it's also a great place to take a friend who may not have the taste requirements of a BA. You can sit back and have a good time with friends or meet someone new. No liquor so the place is not crowded with a bunch of spirit foofoo. Always something new to be had. 16 beers on tap good range to choose from, prices are GREAT! Good bar food from soups and sandwiches to a different daily food special that not on the menu. Mellow crowd from locals to college age. (531 characters)